Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-19
State AFFAIRS.
Mr.. Browning Offers an Amerdmtnt to
the Senate Substitute Land Bill
Which is Adopted.
The Charge that Governor Ross has His
Family Washing D0ne at the
States Expense Is Rtfuted.
The Bill POstponiTg the Forced COlIec len
OF Taxes Passes to EngrGssmsnt
in the Senate.
MR.. BRowN1NG's AMENDMENT.

Mr.. BROwNING'S AMENDMENT.
Special 10 the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, March Mr.. BrOWE-
ing offered an amendment to the Senate
substitute land bill which IS intended TO
operate as a relief measure 10 the actual
settlers upon any of the common school,
University snd asylum lands who have
been unable to pay the principal and in
| terests. The amendment reads: Amend by
adding to section the following: "PrC-
! vided further, that any purchaser
and actual settler upon any Of
the common school, University and
asylum lands under any former law,
who for any cause has failed to psy the
! principal and interest, or either, dEe the
| state upon such land on August /,
! 1856, and by reason of such failure or de
| fault such purchase Of land has or may
/ be forfeited 10 the state, such purchaser
! shall have the prior right fer six
takes effect to purchase his said
( land st such price es the unpaid principal
| at tie time Of Such d, fault AMI the inter-
est due thereon under such former pur-
! chaser up 10 the time he purchases un'e1
/ this act shall aggregate, and all such pur-
! ChasTrs shall in alI Oller r spects re gov
erued by the same penalties, restrictions
and requirements erjoined by tbs act
upon other purchasers and actual set
tiers"
! Mr.. Browning, speaking to his
amendment. said that some object
| Cd TO the smaudment bec8use
| they believed i t. be unconstitutional.
| To cisa5use their minds Of this CO-crp-
/ ion he referred them to the section that
! protected the actual settler IN bis iIn-
/ pToV,men s. While It was true they had
| forfeited these lands under the law, yet
! il was within the province If the Legi>ia-
/ rure 70 Tx & prize upon these lands cover
/ ing the principal aud Interest, sud allow
! these urf0ltlnste settlers 10 redeem
1 heir lands, which they forfeited by
/ reason # the profTaC'ed drouth.
Mr. Payne opposed the amendment be
cause lie firmly believed it to be u8cOn-
| stitutIOnal, for the reason thG5 il YVES Of
| fere d as q relief measure in the very face
! Of the constitution, that says the LggisIa-
ture shall have 20 power 10 grant relief
| to any person so FORGETTING his land.
Mr.. Williamson held the same views as
| Mr.. PAYNE regarding its constitutiOnality.
Mr.. Robinson said that there was no
matter, because they had passed into the
hands of those purchasers who had i'm
proved them and made partial payments
on them, and while they had forfeited
their land, yet the Legislature had 8
right to dictate the terms Of sale, and
could give preference to these men without
infringing on constitutional grounds, and
as matter Of simple justice it should be
done.
Mr.. Truit also favored the amendment
for the same reasons, and could see no
reason why it should not pass, as it could
in no way mi ure the force or effect Of the
bill before the House.
Mr.. Shield also favored the amendment
claiming that the right to fix a price and
the conditions Of sale give the LegisIa-
ture perfect right to pass such 2n
amendment.
Mr.. Shelburne said while he was j
lease law man In every sense of the word,
and had supported the Senate bill now
before the House against every ameBd-
ment offered, yet he was in favor of this
amendment because he believed that it
was clearly within the constitution and g
simple act Of justice.
Speaker Pendleton, resigning his place
temporarily to Mr.. McGaughev, arose on
the floor of the House and supported the
amendment in an able argument, holding
the position that if the Legislature had q
right to fix the price Of raOse lard and
grant terms OF sale under the constitution,
they certainly were within the province
OF their rights if they gave the preference
of repurchase to those who, under mis-
fortune, had forfeited their lands; and If
there was any doubt he hoped the House
would give those poor unfortunate men
aud their families the benefit of the doubt.
The amendment carried by g vote of
Il to 10 end Was adopted as part of the
bill,
The House occupied the greater part of
the afternoon session discussing an
amendment of Mr.. Brownfpg's amend
ment to strike out all of section s from
the word "adyance" in line thirteen, and
insert the following: ''Eu lands classified
as grazing land leased under this act
shall be subjected to sale during the ex-
istence of such lease, and the possession
thereof by the lessees shall not be dis
turbed during the time of such lease
so long as the rents are paid promptly in
advance each yesr as required by this acl.
The lands classified as agricultural lands
which may DE leased under this act shall
be leased subject to sale as provided By
this act, and whenever such leased
lands may be purchased the
lessee shall give immediate possession to
such purchaser, provided, that the lessee
shall have p rata credit on his next
Years rent on the money refunded to him
by the Treasurer ss he msy elect"
MI. Faubion offered an amendment to
Mr.. Browning's amendment as follows:
Pr yideG, tnat the actual settler who
shall purchase said lands within any lease
hold shall be permitted to turn loose
more than one head Of cattle or horses
for every ten acres Of land pur-
chased by him and inclosed, or in
lieu thereof four head of sheep or
goats to every ten acres of land so
purchased ana enclosed. Each violation
Of the provision of this act, which restricts
the number of stock that NAV be turned
loose within an enclosure NJ lands leased
Continued on FOgrta Page.